Is there an influence of anxiety and depression states on postural orientation in standing position? An observational study

Abstract

Introduction: Posture can be defined as the balanced and coordinated alignment of the body's joints. A “poor posture” is one that deviates from the alignment considered normal, being associated with pain and musculoskeletal disorders. Among mood disorders, the most common pattern is the combination of excessive worry, anxiety and depression, which affects the quality of life and well-being of patients, potentially reflecting in biomechanical changes such as misalignment and shortening. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate postural alignment in individuals with different degrees of anxiety and depression, seeking to establish a relationship between psychological status and body posture. Methods: This is a cross-sectional, observational study, in which photogrammetry was performed to obtain measures of postural alignment such as head positioning, spine deviations, increased thoracic kyphosis, changes in the hips and lower limbs. Mood states were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) to assess depression, and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) to assess anxiety. Results: We evaluated 28 individuals of both genders aged between 20 and 63 years, who participated in body therapies, of which 27 had mood swings in the last 7 days until the date of collection. The most cited symptoms in the questionnaires were: inability to relax (40,5%); fear that the worst will happen (27%); not sleeping as well as usual (50%); get tired more easily as usual (47,2%). In the exploratory analysis of factors, the associations between the measures of postural alignment and the BDI-II and BAI scores, the variables that presented important differences were: right and left hip angle, scapula asymmetry, left leg-hind foot angle, alignment horizontal and vertical of the head, hip angle and
horizontal alignment of the pelvis. Conclusion: The results of this study show changes in head orientation associated with depression and anxiety scores, changes in the pelvis and lower limbs are also observed, especially in the hip region.